before, the same figure and voice, but he was clean shaven and his hair was
lighter.
“‘Are you Mr. Hall Pycroft?’ he asked.
“‘Yes,’ said I.
“‘Oh! I was expecting you, but you are a trifle before your time. I had a note
from my brother this morning in which he sang your praises very loudly.’
“‘I was just looking for the offices when you came.’
“‘We have not got our name up yet, for we only secured these temporary
premises last week. Come up with me, and we will talk the matter over.’
“I followed him to the top of a very lofty stair, and there, right under the
slates, were a couple of empty, dusty little rooms, uncarpeted and uncurtained,
into which he led me. I had thought of a great office with shining tables and
rows of clerks, such as I was used to, and I daresay I stared rather straight at the
two deal chairs and one little table, which, with a ledger and a waste paper
basket, made up the whole furniture.
“‘Don’t be disheartened, Mr. Pycroft,’ said my new acquaintance, seeing the
length of my face. ‘Rome was not built in a day, and we have lots of money at
our backs, though we don’t cut much dash yet in offices. Pray sit down, and let
me have your letter.’
“I gave it to him, and he read it over very carefully.
“‘You seem to have made a vast impression upon my brother Arthur,’ said he;
‘and I know that he is a pretty shrewd judge. He swears by London, you know;
and I by Birmingham; but this time I shall follow his advice. Pray consider
yourself definitely engaged.’
“‘What are my duties?’ I asked.
“‘You will eventually manage the great depôt in Paris, which will pour a flood
of English crockery into the shops of a hundred and thirty-four agents in France.
The purchase will be completed in a week, and meanwhile you will remain in
Birmingham and make yourself useful.’
“‘How?’
“For answer, he took a big red book out of a drawer.
“‘This is a directory of Paris,’ said he, ‘with the trades after the names of the
people. I want you to take it home with you, and to mark off all the hardware
sellers, with their addresses. It would be of the greatest use to me to have them.’
“‘Surely there are classified lists?’ I suggested.